The Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains one of the most protracted,
violent, and complex geopolitical issues of the modern era. Over theyears, various possible solutions to the issue of the Zionist occupation
of Palestine (and Western support) have been proposed, but no action to
date has led to humane, respectful, and just outcomes, only to further
brutality and bloodshed. The ongoing genocide in Gaza and the ongoing
violence in the West Bank, unfolding before our eyes, are yet another
example of the failures of all those national and international
institutions (ICC, UN, etc.) that offer a façade of democracy but
actually serve only the interests of the powerful, oligarchs, and rogue
states, never the people.
Over the years, traditional state-centered narratives have often been
challenged by alternative visions rooted in concepts of sovereignty,
self-determination, and liberation. Today, I would like to bring to
these pages a reflection from a Jewish perspective that I believe has
aspects akin to anarchist philosophy and can be added to the historic
tradition of alternative proposals to states.
Academic and historian of religions of Jewish origin, Professor Daniel
Boyarin published the book "The No-State Solution" in 2023. This book
presents a provocative theological and philosophical argument
questioning the legitimacy of the nation-state model, arguing that it
perpetuates violence, exclusion, and hierarchy-elements incompatible
with the ethical ideals rooted in Jewish teachings-and instead proposes
a vision rooted in community and spiritual kinship.
Boyarin explores the idea that Jewish history and theology, especially
as reflected in rabbinic traditions, offer a model for a society beyond
the nation-state. He argues that Jewish communities historically
operated according to principles of communal kinship, spiritual law, and
mutual responsibility, often outside the bounds of imperial or colonial
sovereignty. He contrasts the nation-state with a spiritual community
based on shared values, mutual aid, and ethical responsibility, rather
than territorial sovereignty. Boyarin draws extensively on rabbinic
texts, emphasizing the concept of *Am Yisrael* (the People of Israel) as
a spiritual community rather than a territorial nation. He interprets
Jewish teachings as emphasizing law, community, and ethical
relationships over territorial claims. This interpretation challenges
the Zionist narrative that equates Jewish identity with a territorial
homeland, proposing instead a vision of Jewish existence rooted in
shared spiritual and ethical bonds, a nation without borders. Boyarin
critically examines Zionism's establishment of a Jewish state and its
consequences, including forced exodus and violence against Palestinians;
He advocates a society in which community bonds and shared values
replace the need for sovereign borders, envisioning a decentralized,
non-hierarchical community that emphasizes mutual aid, ethical
responsibility, and spiritual kinship.
Recalling the analyses of Erich Fromm, Boyarin's critical approach
explores the devastating consequences of nationalism, an ideology that
has often manifested itself as a divisive rather than unifying force.
Indeed, nationalism is not merely a response to an identity crisis but a
vehicle for power, often employed by authoritarian regimes to justify
the marginalization of minority and dissenting communities.
Boyarin's perspective, though steeped in spiritual and religious
aspects, is very close to the visions of anarchism. In the
Israeli-Palestinian context, anarchists criticize both the state
apparatuses of Israel and the Palestinian National Authority, as well as
the oppressors of Hamas, calling them sources of violence, repression,
and territorial control. They argue that the state's monopoly on
violence and sovereignty perpetuates conflict, displacement, and
inequality. From an anarchist perspective, solutions involve promoting
autonomous communities based on shared needs and mutual aid, free from
dependence on centralized authorities. This could mean supporting
grassroots initiatives, cooperative structures, and non-hierarchical
networks that empower local populations. Anarchists emphasize
international solidarity across borders, opposing nationalism and
state-centered solutions. They argue that true liberation involves
transcending national identities and building a global movement rooted
in shared human needs and values. Freedom is not conceived as a simple
act of rebellion against the state, but as a practice of active and
collective construction, capable of generating spaces for resistance and
creation.
Considering Boyarin's ideas, combined with anarchist activism and
philosophy, one could imagine a future in which Palestinian and Israeli
communities develop cooperative and non-hierarchical networks,
emphasizing coexistence based on mutual recognition, cultural exchange,
and shared governance, without dependence on formal state structures.
It is clear that, unfortunately, the implementation of a stateless model
inspired by anarcho-cultural-spiritual (Jewish and Muslim) encounters
significant obstacles, including entrenched militarized state systems,
external geopolitical pressures, a history of entrenched violence, and
severe nationalist narcissisms. Many critics also argue that stateless
communities may have difficulty defending themselves from external
threats. Anarchist approaches often emphasize community defense, but the
scale and complexity of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict pose serious
challenges.
There are interesting examples in the Levant and the Middle East, a
notable one being the governance model adopted in Rojava, an autonomous
region in northern Syria, where local communities have organized
themselves into a system of confederal federalism based on local
assemblies and neighborhood councils, without the mediation of political
parties. This model of decentralized and participatory governance is
inspired by the ideas of Murray Bookchin and Abdullah Öcalan and
represents a concrete example of how communities can govern themselves
without the need for centralized states or dominant political parties.
The intersection of Boyarin's "The Stateless Solution" and anarchist
thought offers a compelling perspective for reimagining not only the
future of Israel and Palestine but of many other realities around the
world. By questioning the legitimacy of sovereignty and emphasizing
community bonds rooted in ethics and mutual aid, both perspectives
advocate a society founded on human sharing rather than territorial
conquest. While practical implementation remains fraught with
challenges, these ideas push us to reconsider the foundations of
justice, community, and liberation in one of the world's most enduring
conflicts.
Today, contemporary anarchism has the opportunity to establish itself as
a dynamic and multifocal practice, a valid alternative to obsolete,
violent, and corrupt models of state sovereignty. It expands its
capacity to adapt and respect ever-changing social, historical,
environmental, cultural, and political contexts, basing its actions on
local and international solidarity.
Gabriele Cammarata
https://www.sicilialibertaria.it/
_________________________________________
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